Sunday, November 15, 2009

Bear's Den hike

the weather is GORGEOUS today!
so after we got home from church, instead of our normal "movie and popcorn on the couch", we packed our lunch and headed out for a hike in the woods!

i'm sure it's one of the last beautiful sundays for the winter...and we didn't want to spend it inside!

this trail was about 40 minutes away.

we had to follow these yellow dots on trees.

and didn't realize how rough the terrain was going to be!
pat and i had to carry the double jogging stroller a lot of the way.
he had the front...i had the back...sawyer and our lunch were IN it!
we had to go up places like this :-)

we made it though.
and still smiling.

there was this gorgeous overlook with lots of rocks.

in church this morning we sang the song that says,
"My Savior, He can move the mountains.
My God is might to save..."
it just kept going through my mind while we were up there.

what a Savior!


i could have had so many more pictures...but i was trying to keep this little wild man from flinging himself down a cliff.


it was a great adventure for our family.



now on to get ready for the week ahead...

a blur and a blast

the day yesterday was kind of a blur...

but the afternoon/evening was a BLAST!!!!

we all got dressed {in outfits i'm SO excited about...i normally don't get into matching the kids for Christmas, etc...but when i saw these skirts in Target i couldn't TAKE it!}

my parents came and took LOTS of pictures of us.
one will be our Christmas picture.
i'll share more with you once i edit them...

but here's a sneak peek :-)
aren't they CUTE????

and THEN!

pat and i went out.

our time started with a letter he wrote me.
made me cry.
out of thankfulness for a husband that cherishes me and cares for me.
even when i don't deserve it.

we spent most of our time Christmas shopping for the kids.
{Pat likes to be a big part of shopping for the kids...i do everything else on the list...but it's nice to have his input on one part!}
we do this every year in November.

but.
it was frustrating.
hard to find the line between wanting them to have a "special" Christmas...and the fact that they really don't NEED anything.

plus, i think the different ways we celebrated Christmas growing up always comes out in situations like this...even many years later...it's amazing how you grow up effects so much for the rest of your life!

kind of a daunting thought as i'm raising my 4 little ones!

anyway...we made some progress.
and i got less frustrated as we went.
and we had a nice dinner together and looked at each other's faces and talked and laughed.

it was a great night.

and ended with getting to talk to my parents for awhile!
an adult conversation with no kids around!
that was a special bonus!!!

thanks for all you did to allow for such a great night, mom and dad!!!

Friday, November 13, 2009

the playseum and some cute kid stuff

wow.
this place was AMAZING!!!

for those of you around here...it's in Bethesda, MD.
and was WORTH the drive!
{and worth taking the kids out of school!}

this was the dream of a mom.
and it's now a reality.
she made it happen.

{i spent a lot of time talking to Gina during our 3 hours in her Playseum today!}

this is going to be a LOT of pictures.
but i want those of you that live close enough to see what you can experience!

i'm going to share some cute stuff about the kids as we go...to keep this pictures more interesting.

the first room we started in was the bakery.

it all looked so REAL!


even an area to make ice cream cones! :-)

Bailey:
oh, sweet bailey.
lately, when she asks me a question and i say, "i don't know" or "i'm not sure"
she says, "YES, you DO! you're BIG!"

oh, and she cut her hair the other day.
thankfully just a little section.
it's not really noticeable in all that hair.
i was upset with her.
she looked at me with those big, beautiful eyes and said,
"i wanted my hair short. like rebekah's!"
right.

her favorite halloween candy were the pretzel bags!
seriously!
and she takes FOREVER to make a decision.
just learned that at halloween.
at every door she acted like she was deciding the most important thing in her life.

this room was AMAZING.
the idea was "climbing up in grandma's attic"
old dresses...hats...trunks...REAL stuff from HER grandma's attic!


at each end of the Playseum there was a room for babies.
with a gate at the door.
and a soft floor.
and an opening so that we could be close by and the baby could see us and feel like he was with us.
yet couldn't get into the "little" stuff we were playing with.

the grocery store!
this was MY favorite!
so COOL!!!

shopping carts...groceries...REAL boxes of it!

a scale to weigh the produce...

even real fridge/freezers!

and i got to check them out :-)

joshua counting his items...of course!

there was a pet room.
with real pets!
birds..bunny...fish...gerbil??

Joshua:
i think i'll always have some question marks in my head about this kid.
he's just so quiet.
i never quite know what's going on in that sweet head of his.
but i do know that he loved Skittles the best of his halloween candy.
and making his pinewood derby car for the Grand Prix in AWANA the last few weeks with his dad has been a HUGE highlight.
because of all that time near daddy's workbench, his new favorite activity is hammering nails into a block of wood. :-)

a dress up room...wigs...shoes...dresses...fingernail polish to paint nails...hair stuff...

there was a HUGE room with a stage and drums and a guitar and a foosball table and a game table and a trampoline and a train table...and some other stuff.

and this little baby room {and cute baby!!!} overlooked it.

Sawyer:
oh, this kid.
he can bring so much joy...and so much frustration into my days.
his smile is amazing.
but when he's not happy...ain't nobody happy.
thankfully it's not often.

he also loves skittles.
and can blow kisses.
and can live without a morning nap.
yet will take one if i want him to.

when he hears daddy's garage door opening he RUNS to the door...SO excited!!!
then, once he greets daddy, he runs to find the football and brings it to him!
it's HYSTERICAL!
then they play this game where they say, "set, hut!" and run with the football.
sawyer does the "set, hut!" motion {bending over with the football between his legs} and makes the intonation of the words {can't say them...but you KNOW what he's saying!}
it's amazing!

he's such a fun kid.

ok. onto the craft room.
seriously.
you painted on this board.
and then just squirted it with water and squigeed (sp??) it off.
cool.
there were shelves of craft stuff...feathers, bottle caps, clay, so much stuff....


rebekah loved this room.
international stuff...

rebekah:
{when we still had it} she kept giving me the chocolate out of the halloween candy.
so generous and giving that one...

her favorite candy to eat is a lollipop or tootsie roll.

i love that she tells me stories from her day.
my favorite one lately was when they were racing at recess.
around the track.
and she was the only girl with all the boys.
and she was only beat by a "little bit."

i SO don't relate to that.
i was NOT like that growing up.
but i love that she is.
i think it gives girls a lot more confidence in who they are {in a healthy way}.
and i love that for her.

oh, and she's the only girl that plays dodgeball with the boys.
{sometimes she plays "family" with the girls, too :-)}

i also love that she plays with different friends all the time.

and back to the grocery store.
we visited it twice.




and we painted nails before we left.

a tunnel between 2 of the rooms.

popped in this room on our way out...

and 2 seconds after this picture, sawyer tried to eat that scoop of sand :-)

on that note, we left.
we totally could have stayed longer...except for sawyer.
he was done.
and i didn't take pictures of so many more things!

OH! and if that wasn't enough...there were also bookshelves everywhere...filled with used children's books....and you could buy them!!!

you'll just have to take my word for it.

the Playseum was awesome!!!

First Gift

today is THE day!

we are going to make a difference today!
with our first Christmas gift of the season!!!

i have tried to think of a different way to say it.
to really get to why this is so huge to me.
there are so many great charities to give money to.
so many great causes.

why is this one so important to me?

that it keeps me up at night with my blood pumping?
that it keeps me from lots of things lately sewing adorable shirts?
that my lists are about "water" and not "house projects" or even "christmas shoppping"??
that my kids make pictures like these...



"this is what people drink in Africa"

...instead of rainbows and houses {they make those too!}

i can't really come up with a "good" reason.

it just is.

maybe because it's so simple.
and i like simple.

maybe because i love the people behind it.
and i love to love.

maybe because it's "easy" to really make a difference {$20 for clean water for a person for LIFE! that's EASY!!!}
and i love to make a difference.

maybe because God has shown Himself to me in many ways through my involvement in this.
and i love to know Him more.

maybe because it's a tangible thing to talk to my kids about.
and i love to teach my kids.

maybe because i have been privileged to be a partner in it.
and i love to "do."

maybe because i've been challenged to simplify...love more...make a difference more...know Him more...teach more...do more...

yes, YES...i think that's it.

if you'd like to join me.
with only $10.
please do.

and please do it today.

it will make a difference.

some memories

last minute decision for today.

taking rebekah and joshua out of school.

going back to that children's museum that was closed...and is now open.

i need a day with them.
away from this house...with it's chores and lists...

praying for a day of sweet memories.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

have you been following??

jody was in liberia, africa last week.
with charity:water.
documenting and getting to SEE the difference she {and countless others...YOU!} have made in the last year through the water4christmas campaign.

this is the water many africans drink from.
they need it to live.
yet it kills them.

these precious children...

with joy and love pouring out...

thanks to her...

they have this.

many of us will never know the ripples our life might have on others.
jody is one of those people that is already seeing the waves she's making.

she follows hard after the heart of God.

He is using her in big ways.
because she has opened her life to Him.
she holds nothing back.

i'm not trying to make her out to be a saint or something
{although i think she's pretty amazing!}

but she's just like you or me.
{except sometimes i wonder if she has more hours in her day than i do...}
she's a wife.
and a mom.
and a sister.
and a daughter.
and a friend.
and a daughter of the King.

you will be blessed by following her story.

and i pray you will be challenged to follow hard after Him.
i know i have been...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

special day!

today is a special day.
veterans day.

and we got to hug our most special veteran...my dad.
my dad served 22ish (?) years in the Air Force.
thanks, dad!!!

he had the day off and chose to come see US!
we were so honored!!!

waiting for papa...

waiting oh so patiently...

this picture.
seriously.
no words.
makes my heart so happy...

papa listening to joshua read a book
{he's READING! for REAL! CRAZY!!!}

ha!
sawyer's face cracks me up!

bailey getting swung during a party in her room...

and joshua got a ride too.



after we got joshua on the bus, we went and ate lunch with rebekah at school.

later...when we were playing Kerplunk! with Bailey...she told grandma and papa "we are going to Africa to get some people!" HUGE eyes. lots of excitement. there is some processing going on in that little head of hers.

my mom was snapping pictures too...check her blog later! :-)

a very special day.

{and a hug from my dad was worth a lot during this week. for those of you that have had the privilege of one of my dad's hugs, you know what i mean. you kinda stop breathing for a second. but you feel filled with love and like the most special thing he's seen all day. nothing like it.}